Abuse by Sports Coaches in Japan

Video: A high school coach in Shizuoka Prefecture slaps a student 16 times in under 20 seconds. He should be fired.

Some of the local coaches on the soccer teams verbally abuse the players. I have witnessed it many times. It wouldn`t be tolerated in Canada. These coaches would be forced to quit by the parents.

However in Japan, what appears to be abuse to a Canadian
(me), is thought to be very, very strict coaching. A cultural difference? Or abuse?

I tend to think it is abuse.

Unfortunately violence in sports sometimes happens here. I have seen older boys hitting younger boys for failing to catch a ball in baseball at the local junior high school, and observed repeated verbal abuse by coaches and managers of players even as young as elementary school. It is tolerated here. Where I hear some teams don`t even keep score in Canada, it is very serious business in Japan. I have been disgusted with the behaviour of the soccer coaches of my son`s teams off and on for years, so this video doesn`t surprise me so much. I at times asked my sons if they wanted to quit soccer. They didn`t. But other boys did and told me they hated the coach. Sad. Sports should be fun, and it should be about fun.